133 thoughts on “Friday’s Papers

    1. TenPin Terry

      RIP Shane Warne.
      One of the greatest cricketers of all time and a former beau of Liz Hurley.
      Died of a massive banger aged just 52.
      Way too young.

  1. f_lawless

    Are we still able to have a grown up conversation as to what the hell these sanctions are set to achieve apart from creating more suffering for ordinary people all round? Hundreds of thousands of people across Europe are being pushed further into poverty. Who knows what destabilising chain reactions are being set in motion for economies around the world. Sanctions on Russia are effectively sanctions on us all. What’s the supposed end objective – impose enough suffering on ordinary Russian citizens so that they demand that Putin most go? It’s highly unethical. And there’s no reason to assume that Russia will be a more stable country even if Putin is ousted. Why aren’t targeted sanctions being imposed rather than these highly damaging blanket ones?

          1. scottser

            you can tell that’s a uk made missile by the shapely blast pattern. the tans must get their few bob from somewhere – why choose one filthy regime over another, eh?
            marvellous

    1. f_lawless

      I would suggest that what we’re witnessing is actually an orchestrated destruction of the global economy in it’s current form. It’s an already been in a moribund state for some time now after being treated for so long as a Ponzi scheme by the greedy oligarchs and banking elites.

      I think in an attempt to protect their own wealth and implement their so called “Great Reset”, for the last 2 years or so, that cabal have been trying to contrive enough chaos and human suffering in order to bring us to a point where their new totalitarian system of Central Bank Digital Currencies tied to a digital ID can be presented as the panacea – the only way forward out of the mess for all us average citizens. At the same time all the chaos and acts as a cover for their own culpability in tanking the global economy over previous years.

      Apparently these CBDCs will pave the way for deeply negative interest rates which will kick the can down the road and keep the global economic system going a while longer.

      First we were put through extended lockdowns which tanked economies around the world. But Covid now seems to be largely fading away, so plan B seems to be to leverage from a major war conflict – and perhaps cyberwarfare (as forewarned by Klaus Schwab) – in order to see things through. Our elected leaders are behaving as little more than water carriers. That’s what seems most plausible to me at this point in time.

        1. Ian - oG

          Link works fine Fearganainm, not that you needed telling.

          Also, it’s quite succinct.

          1. SOQ

            And very juvenile.

            I’d swear some of these bitchy clowns think they actually own this site.

          2. Ian - oG

            it’s only juvenile if it was responding to something reasonable and intelligent.

            But it wasn’t.

            So, totes appropes.

      1. GiggidyGoo

        @f_lawless
        That’s probably closer to the truth of the matter.

        – Covid
        – Digital IDs
        – Populations use plastic instead of cash
        – Hyper inflation

        All control. Resetting and stacking the cards.

      2. Nigel

        Hard to take analysis seriously that rests on the assumption of a global pandemic and an invasion by a despot as contrived by a shadowy cabal, especially when the point if this is to condemn the very idea of countries responding to either. The chaos of thousands of people dying daily from covid and thousands dying from Putin’s shelling are acceptable, trying to do something about either is not.

        1. GiggidyGoo

          “ especially when the point if this is to condemn the very idea of countries responding to either”
          I can’t see that in the post above. Is a case then that the point of your post is ‘let’s discuss Nigels thoughts’?

          And your analysis is what?

          1. Nigel

            My analysis us that neither the pandemic nor the invasion were contrived by a shadowy cabal with the woolly motivation of ‘creating chaos’ and somehow driving unrelated policy preferences.

          2. GiggidyGoo

            And where did you get the “ especially when the point if this is to condemn the very idea of countries responding to either”?
            That wasn’t in the posts above.

      3. E'Matty

        Exactly. The general populations are the target here and it’s global. The global economy is in a dire state as we see runaway inflation start to kick in. This will help evaporate the wealth of the general population. Energy cost rises will kill many businesses too and lower living standards dramatically. The Financial system will be shocked into a position where CBDCs are presented as the only solution proving central bank digital control over our every interaction in the economy. Russia now reciprocating with media blocks on some western media sites, as the EU and Co are doing with RT and Sputnik. This helps bring populations under more direct psychological control as it’s back to the days of old where you only heard your sides propaganda. Dissenting voices to continue to be labelled disinformation but also to morph into a form of “terrorism” enabling effective crushing of all alternative voices. Cyber attacks to bring digital IDS and the necessity of online security into view. Everything happening is pushing is towards the Great Reset and The New Global Order.

        It’s a road map we have flagged numerous times and even as it plays out before our eyes, the herd types stick their heads deeper into the sand.

          1. Fearganainm

            “We’ve been seeing some questions/discussion around whether crypto can be used to avoid sanctions. A few thoughts…”

            https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1499621509651787782

            “5/ That being said, we don’t think there’s a high risk of Russian oligarchs using crypto to avoid sanctions. Because it is an open ledger, trying to sneak lots of money through crypto would be more traceable than using U.S. dollars cash, art, gold, or other assets.”

        1. paddy apathy

          Hi Janet, I see you’re flirting with the far right by exploring ‘Great Reset’ conspiracy now. Honestly, I think you are better than this. When Flawless and Matty aren’t proselytising they’re otherwise aggressive nasty types. Don’t get taken in by them.

          1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            ah no, much as I love flirting, I’m just wondering where crypto would fit into the scenario presented by lawless.

          2. paddy apathy

            Oh thank goodness for that.
            Many of the large crypto exchanges are complying with sanctions and freezing accounts of anyone on blacklists. Also it would be very difficult to move large sums of crypto undetected. And the end of the day old world commodities including property and cash are the only safe havens for ill gotten gains.
            And cash ain’t dying out any time soon.

          3. paddy apathy

            Yup, Great Reset, a vague set of ideas from the WEF hijacked by Mickies like yourself, and transformed into something about an authoritarian world government.

            The core principle of Great Reset in its original form was the idea that corporations should no longer focus entirely on serving shareholders but become more driven by principles of serving society, customers, suppliers, employees and communities.

            How awful would that be?

          4. SOQ

            Far Right is so 2020 Micko- I hate Ukrainian Neo Nazism which makes me a communist- it’s very now.

          5. scottser

            SOQ hates ukranian nazis, but russian nazis are ok.
            they got a lot of freakin nazis over there you know.

          6. SOQ

            Russian Naziz are not a major component in their army- and neither do they have the full backing of western ‘Liberals’.

            It is the glaring hypocrisy and double standards I am highlighting.

          7. Nigel

            Apparently objecting to the transparent propaganda of denazification being used for one country to invade another is supporting Nazis now.

            You have no idea how many Nazis there are in the Russian army. But that doesn’t matter, because Nazis are extreme ethnonationalists, and so is Putin, and so is this invasion.

          8. scottser

            SOQ – neo nazi groups are international by nature. they all know each other and they all work together on any number of shared objectives. you keep banging on about ukranian nazis as if they are some homogenous group; they’re obviously not:
            https://antifascist-europe.org/uncategorized/nazi-exodus-how-russian-nazis-ended-up-in-ukraine/
            by pointing your finger at only one set of nazis is actually to double down on the very hypocrisy you’re trying to highlight.

          9. SOQ

            Yes nationalists network internationality but by their nature, they are country first- that is the whole point? Globalist on the other hand are the opposite but, despite their woke clothing, they are also just as right wing.

        2. f_lawless

          @Janet I imagine so, however the battle is already underway to shut decentralised cryptocurrencies down.

          This is worth a read: Author tries to put himself in the mindset of ‘Davos man’ to envisage what strategies he might use to bring about this new system .

          https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/if-i-were-going-to-conquer-you

          ‘first and foremost, you need to control the money….

          step one is use whatever pretexts come to hand to eliminate alternate systems.

          shut down crypto using jingoism and appeals to “stopping war” or “terrorist plots.” my narrative would be: “crypto is for drug dealers, rouge state that threaten the world order, hostile oligarchs, and enemies of the nation who plot coups/whatever kind of supremacy/hate/honk too much.”

          (Screenshot of this Feb 25th Bloomberg article:
          Title: “ECB Urges Haste on Crypto Regulation in Wake of Russian Sanctions

          Lagarde says framework should be pushed through quickly
          EU working on crypto legislation to halt illicit funds flow”

          https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-25/ecb-urges-haste-on-crypto-regulation-amid-russian-sanctions )

          you shut it down, prevent its use, and take control of every on and off ramp that can turn it into currencies that can be used to buy food or fuel, pay rent or pay wages. you impose draconian KYC (know your customer) laws and prevent anonymous transactions. you dress it up as pursuing “tax evasion.” you bring in both law enforcement and intelligence agencies and use multi-hop FISA warrants to go after everyone….’

          1. Nigel

            “crypto is for drug dealers, rouge state that threaten the world order, hostile oligarchs, and enemies of the nation who plot coups/whatever kind of supremacy/hate/honk too much.”

            He left out the money laundering and the ransomware attacks on private institutions and public infrastructure, most memorably the attacks on hospitals during the pandemic, not to mention the sheer volume of scams and the massive amount of theft, a signiicant amount of which is by agents of rogue states like North Korea.

      1. E'Matty

        An immediate ceasefire and peace talks where Ukraine is recognised as a neutral independent country by all sides, neither aligned to NATO nor Russsia, but economically supported by all to act as an economic and cultural bridge between East and West. The country would thrive and everyone wins except the warmongers and imperialists on both sides

        1. Nigel

          How are you going to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire? He’s the belligerent here. Don’t the Ukrainians get any say in the running of their own country at all, or are you just going to impose neutrality on them somehow?

        2. SOQ

          That has been suggested from quite a number of sources E Matty, but when the strongest part of the Ukrainian army is Nazis- I am not sure that leaving them to their own devices would be safe either.

          1. George

            Did you feel Ukraine was problem and couldn’t be left alone a month ago? How long have you been hoping for Ukraine to be invaded.

          2. SOQ

            This current over hyped scrap in Ukraine will just replace one puppet government with another, but the meddling from both super powers will continue.

            I am very cynical of the whole thing and do not need words put into my mouth by people with malintent- like yourself.

          3. George

            You constantly attack Ukraine in your posts never criticise Russia and push a laughable interpretation of the invasion as being left versus right. I’d be more concerned about the words you’re putting in your own mouth.

            You must be glad of the war though now that the pandemic is over. It gives you something to do.

          4. SOQ

            OK I will address that.

            Maybe I am just turning into a contrarian but after two years of lies and propaganda about CoVid-19, I am very sceptical about the motives of our governments and paid media mouthpieces.

            At the moment, here in the west, all I see is a blanket pro Ukraine regime narrative, despite the fact that NATO has the same if not worse elsewhere so- I push back.

            Maybe you disagree but I think that is a healthy attitude to have.

            As for Russia, I honestly know little about the place and I suspect neither do you. There is no doubt but that Putin is a tyrant and that it is not a democracy, but it is is global super powers we are dealing with here, so things are rarely what they seem with any of them.

            Above all, I really don’t understand why some people get so personal instead of just discussing the issues.

          5. Nigel

            ‘ I push back. ‘

            Valorising your contrairanism as a response to propaganda when you are uncritically repeating pro-war propaganda and have been caught out repeating at least two sets of lies accompanied by deceitful generalisations is just bing stupid.

          1. George

            Russia cares about opposition parties now? That’s news to me.
            People are being murdered and displaced.

  2. stephen moran

    Maybe the cabal of Putin fanboy apologists here should have a peek-a-boo at the livestream of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plan being bombed and attacked as I write – but of course the Russian peacekeepers are probably just looking for those US biolabs that George Soros bank rolled

    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv

    Still time to binge stanch Chernobyl on Netflix

        1. Fearganainm

          The Ukrainian State Emergency Service is reporting that radiation and fire safety conditions at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant are “within normal limits”. An update on the agency’s official Telegram account reads:

          ” As of 02:26 in the city of Energodar at the Zaporozhye NPP, the third power unit was disconnected from the unified energy system (only Unit 4 is operating). Of the six power units, one is currently operating. Radiation and fire safety conditions at nuclear power plants are within normal limits. Fire condition at the NPP is normal.”

          The agency said a fire broke out in the training building outside the NPP, however the Guardian has been unable to verify these claims.

          https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/03/ukraine-news-russia-war-vladimir-putin-biden-latest-live-updates-kherson-kyiv-kharkiv-refugees-russian-invasion?page=with:block-62216e588f08c1dd5f65a94b#block-62216e588f08c1dd5f65a94b

          1. Steph Pinker

            Blondie, are you reporting on location by proxy? If so, it’s appreciated and stay safe.

            Seriously.

          2. Nigel

            Not a single one of those firefighters should ever have to put their hand in their pockets ever again. Statues of them n every European capital. Holidays named after them.

          3. Nigel

            Whoever fired the artillery, every single person in the chain of command right up to Putin, should never breathe free air again.

    1. Nigel

      Jesus Christ. While you were sleeping… half of Eastern Europe was nearly melted down to radioactive slag. Make a glowing desert and call it peace.

      1. TenPin Terry

        Oh.my.word.
        Sleeping ?
        Last night was a jungle-themed night at the local beach bar.
        Gin and tontons and limbo dancing are not a good combination.
        My back is killing me and there’s a cartoon feller in my head playing bongoes with a pair of bones.
        I’ve instructed Mrs TenPin to put away any notions of jiggery-pokery today and bring me a soothing tincture.
        This is one sick puppy.

  3. E'Matty

    At present, one should take all reporting from Ukraine from whatever side with a bucket of salt.

    1. The Millie Obnoxious™

      I think we can say very much the same of Russian media, considering the stranglehold Putin has on traditional media in Russia.

      1. Ian - oG

        I see one of their independent TV shows shuttered last night – Rain TV, bowed out with Swan lake, traditionally played back the day for the death of Soviet premiers and played when communism fell.

        https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/russian-tv-rain-sign-out-saying-no-to-war-plays-swan-lake-as-staff-walk-out-7800387/

        There are massive numbers of Russians bravely doing what they can against Putin, for anyone who is inclined to prayer, say a few for them, this is courage.

    2. Fergalito

      As one should take forum comments, unsupported assertions of fact, supported assertions of fact and Twitter, TikTok, YouTube links and the weather forecast.

      Indeed i even take what me own Mammy says with a pinch of salt of times.

      1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

        I agree on the Indian media, still feels like news rather than chicken soup

    3. George

      Are you not wising up that you’re badly wrong. You’d be all for appeasing Hitler if you were around at the time.

  4. Vlad X. Novichok

    You know I was going to post a genuine question to the Putin-loving confederates of Broadsheet how they feel after a week of this insanity, but so far I can tell they feel pretty great about it.

    Seems to me that they’re sporting their hardons for Putin with pride. So much so they’re getting swastikas tattooed on their glory. Well done you.

    1. Kali

      It could be pointed out that the Ukraine has actual nazis in it’s ranks with the Azov battalion but I can guess by your name that you have a blind spot for anything that’s not anti Russia. And most here don’t support Putin but do understand that this war wasn’t simply one country looking to impose it’s will on another, but actually stems in part from a long running civil war in the Ukraine, control of energy pipelines and the positioning of nuclear ‘defense’ systems.

        1. Kali

          That’s your best rebuttal? Call whoever doesn’t agree with you a foreign agent. If you really want a debate you should try to think of something to back up your assertions with or your just scoring own goals. But I’m guessing it’s just a rant your after. We look forward to more informed posts like these from you

          1. Vlad X. Novichok

            The usual suspects and their boners for Putin – along with the rest of their grasp on reality – tells me they’ve gone down a dank and dirty sewer and now live there happily. That’s just how it is for them now.

            Christ, when even Trump leaves you behind, you know you’ve a problem.

            Or, you’re stoking this from Orwell Road. Probably both.

            You all can’t hide from this now.

      1. The Millie Obnoxious™

        I think you’ll find most people have a very low tolerance for Nazis after the atrocities committed in WW2.

        Similarly, most people have a very low tolerance for overnight invasions of sovereign independent nations, like that of Russia and Ukraine last week, and the kind of tactical aggression that sees residential and protected buildings attacked.

        1. Kali

          Actually a lot of people in eastern Europe have a higher tolerance than you’d think. The nazis were their countrymen who fought the Soviets, who in turn went on to become their long term frenemies. So in many people’s eyes supporting the heroes that fought the soviets is not necessarily a bad thing, even if those heros were nazis. That’s were the likes of the Azov battalion and Bandelaras came from.

          They don’t do themselves any favours as it’s semi legitimate propaganda for Putin when he claims to be invading to denazify the Ukraine

          1. The Millie Obnoxious™

            That’s a fair point worth considering with regards to Eastern Europe.

            However, because a good number of these nations are either a part of the EU or looking to become a member of the EU, they obviously are going to be aware that Western Europe and the US (the traditional Allies) would be far less tolerant of such espoused beliefs, even bearing the historical context in mind, which may may have some impact, especially if those nations require the EU as allies in defending against Russia.

          2. Nigel

            ‘he claims to be invading to denazify the Ukraine’

            He’s iinvading because Ukrainian and Russian people are one. He’s said so.

  5. Fearganainm

    Vladimir Putin is “at risk” of ending up in prison for war crimes carried out by his Russian forces in Ukraine, the British justice secretary said on Friday. Dominic Raab, who is also deputy prime minister, was asked on Times Radio whether he saw the conflict ending with the Russian president “imprisoned for war crimes”.

    He said:

    “I think it is a very real risk that he must now contemplate. Beyond his personal situation, every commander operating in Ukraine, or indeed Moscow, when they are faced with illegal orders, whether it is to target civilians or otherwise, attack illegal or unlawful sites, they now know the ICC (international criminal court) is investigating and the chief prosecutor Karim Khan is, I believe, travelling to Ukraine. They must now know that they face the very real risk of ending up in the dock of a court and, ultimately, in a prison if they follow through on those illegal, unlawful orders.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/04/ukraine-news-russia-war-vladimir-putin-zelenskiy-kyiv-latest-live-updates-russian-invasion-nuclear-power-plant?page=with:block-6221ce108f088d6b798dc9fc#block-6221ce108f088d6b798dc9fc

    Omar al-Bashir has yet to face a court for war crimes so I doubt Putin will pay much attention to Raab’s squeaking.

    1. Kali

      Failure to even consider charges for Tony Blair and George Bush has shown the ICC for what it really is, a western backed high level kangaroo court with no real backbone or moral standing.

      1. goldenbrown

        I’m for chopping him up Kali

        that way we don’t have to bother with the court nonsense and you can stop worrying your head about morals or backbones

    2. goldenbrown

      prison? LOL

      actually it’s a good question

      do you chop up a monster or pop him in a supermax?

  6. Ian - oG

    Depending on how accurate some of the reports are about Putin’s rhetoric, it does sound like a man who knows he has painted himself into a corner.

    I’d say there are some serious discussion going on among the cabal of oligarchs out there as to his continuing fitness to govern. Remains to be seen how much loyalty his current inner circle has to him I suppose but it would be nice to think his days are numbered and sooner before more lives are lost including and young Russian soldiers who have little interest in being in Ukraine.

    1. goldenbrown

      I don’t know
      and neither do you

      but I have a simpler question for ya

      why did Putin invade a sovereign nation, murder their people and destroy their country?

      1. Vlad X. Novichok

        Imagine the kinda person that sports a semi for Putin after he bombs a maternity hospital? I suppose he wants to take out baby nazis before they can walk.

  7. stephen moran

    I think it’s going to be interesting to see which political parties and media outlets in the west suddenly start having some funding and working capital issues shortly. We all know the those glorious upholders of American freedom the NRA got busted for their reliance on Russian money back in 2016 but it could be the end of the sponsorship deal for lots more covert ops now – methinks Clegg’s Meta’s add revenue might be in for a bit o a hit.
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-fox-news-producter-for-sean-hannity-jack-hanick-indicted-for-helping-russia?source=articles&via=rss

  8. stephen moran

    The other geo-political angle very few commentators seem to be focusing on is the potential for an much broader “Arab Spring” this summer i.e. the whole of MENA & Africa. Egypt for example imports neatly all its wheat from Russia. Prices are sky rocketing. Recall it was a bread riot in Tunisia that kicked it off last time NOT some ex post facto DM columnists wet dream of a sudden desire for all things western. Coming soon to a your favourite Despot pin up who of course is a victim of dependency theory, core periphery exploitation neo colonialism and post imperialism .I just thought I’d preempt those tropes.

  9. stephen moran

    The first racquet of the world tennis NO uno Daniil Medvedev removed the Russian flag from the description in his Instagram. I wonder what everyone’s favourite Serbian tennis pro things of it all

  10. Mad

    Another day of really tedious amateur backgammon stuff from Feargal No Aim and Steeped Hen More (‘an More)

  11. SOQ

    Prince Andrew joke so- imagine having to pay off a woman you had sex with, with pictures of your mother?

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